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A SMALL plot of land with an asking price of £500,000 is scuppering any future developments on a prime retail spot in Loughborough, claims the Aumberry Gap owner.

Klaus Kaiser, who owns everything but the Phantom pub on the block of land between Aumberry Gap and Leicester Road, says the site faces a very uncertain future.

To date, Mr Kaiser says he has received around £200,000 in compensation from Leicestershire County Council for lost land needed to build the Inner Relief Road.

He says the final settlement is likely to be up to £300,000, however the council says an agreement has yet to be met.

Mr Kaiser claims that any future developments will be scuppered if he does not “get back” a small piece of land the county took but did not use.

He says the council wants £500,000 for it – an amount that is putting developers off and which, he claims, has meant negotiations have broken down with supermarket chain Lidl.

He says the small piece of land – which has four trees and some paving on it – means that developers are forced to submit proposals that are set back from the street and do not meet the borough council’s requirements for the site.

He told the Echo: “How long can I continue? I want to sell the land and retire. I don’t sleep. I am falling apart. Give it back to me. You don’t need it so give it back to me. The site is useless without that plot of land back.

“It seems like they want to squeeze this like a lemon asking for £500,000.”

One of the many applications for Aumberry Gap in Loughborough. This one shows a student housing development. Picture supplied by Klaus Kaiser.

Leicestershire County Council says the sale of land is part of a compensation claim and a figure for the land has yet to be decided. They would not confirm the £500,000 figure.

A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said: “We purchased the land from Mr Kaiser as part of works to the Inner Relief road. Now the road is complete we are able to offer some of it back.

“The compensation claim is on-going and a figure for the land has not yet been agreed. We are working with Mr Kaiser and his agent to reach a settlement.

“We have not been contacted by Lidl and a decision regarding any planning application for the land would be made by Charnwood Borough Council, as the planning authority.”

The borough council says any development on Aumberry Gap should be of landmark quality with active frontages as part of its 2007 Local Development Framework.

Mr Kaiser has had a tough time selling the site.

He says over a 10 year period, around 20 developers have approached him with plans, which include Waitrose, student accommodation, cinema, multi-storey car park and an indoor market.

Most recently Lidl wanted to acquire the site, which he says pulled out in October.

The Echo contacted Lidl but no one was available as the Echo went to press.